The present invention relates generally to orthopedics and, in particular, to an acetabular prosthetic implant.
Total hip replacement surgery typically entails the removal and replacement of the femoral head portion of the femur, as well as the resurfacing and replacement of the acetabulum. In both cases, prosthetic implants are utilized to replace the removed bone portions. Although these types of surgeries have become rather common place, surgeons are often faced with decisions during surgery relating to the particular prosthetic implants utilized, in addition to their respective orientation and positioning. For example, acetabular cup replacements may require a surgeon to first implant a shell portion and thereafter select different cup inserts and position them with respect to the shell portion. Several attempts at providing beneficial acetabular cup assemblies have been developed heretofore. Some examples of such acetabular cup assembly designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,243 (“the '243 patent”) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,097 (“the '097 patent”), and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0288793 (“the '793 application”) and 2006/0190089 (“the '089 application”), the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The variety of conditions encountered when utilizing such implants has led to the use of various bearing materials and attachment methods placed at an optimum position and orientation, as determined by conditions encountered at the site of the implant. The choice of particular material for the bearing, as well as the size, positioning and orientation of the bearing member, is determined by the surgeon performing the procedure. Usually such choices are made on the basis of a pre-operative assessment of the needs of a particular patient. However, some times the choices are not apparent until the implant site is actually being prepared and the conditions encountered at the site can be evaluated during the implantation procedure itself. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have available a greater range of interoperative choices, as well as pre-operative choices, so as to enable a surgeon to accommodate the needs of a particular patient as determined by either or both a pre-operative assessment and an evaluation of conditions encountered at a particular implant site, and to do so in a practical manner.
Especially in the case of revision surgical procedures wherein the pelvis has been severely compromised or deteriorated, it is known to use support structures to receive an acetabular prosthetic device. For example, in the '793 application, the invention disclosed relates to optional modular adaptors which include wings, straps, or flanges to enhance the support of the acetabular prosthesis on the pelvis. Often times, devices including such extensions for connection with the pelvis, while often necessary, are difficult to insert through an incision and manipulate at the implantation site. Specifically, devices having multiple extensions extending in opposition or different directions often require a significant amount of unneeded or unwanted added manipulation on the part of a surgeon.
Therefore, there exists a need for an easily implantable acetabular prosthetic device including supports or extensions for connection with the pelvis or other surrounding bone.